SS18 Trend Edit: Inky Blues

5New York renovation by The White Arrow featuring Farrow and Ball Hague Blue

Just as we start to see some new season product launches and begin to feel some small signs of Spring, we are greeted by one of the coldest weeks on record. As we sit here, the snow is falling outside and the heating has been cranked up high! Well, determined not to be distracted and full of British stoicism we have decided to continue as planned with our edit of the most gorgeous inky blues on the market.

Blue is such a versatile and popular colour isn’t it? It works across so many products and on so many material substrates and our fondness for the colour spans across interiors into fashion and beauty as a key staple. It works well in many guises in the winter months but this Spring/ Summer we will see blue return to the high street as a hot trend colour. Blue is worked easily into most style directions – global, coastal, contemporary — and complements other muted tones well too which can help create harmony and balance. A key message for the season ahead is the need for consumers to create calm and casual surroundings which help you to relax and make you feel more at peace. With our interest in environmental issues and a need to connect with nature, there is organic natural direction developing for blue which is supported by hand painted and handcrafted elements.

Blue has proven to be highly popular of late across both residential and commercial projects. Painted surfaces where the same shade is used across the woodwork and walls, gives character houses a modern update. In kitchens we have seen blue being used across cabinetry, this works especially well when combined with lighter tones and warm metallics. Blue tones adopted in interiors range from deepest midnight blue to more green shades. This shot from SF Girl (above) shows how great highlights of blue look when they are used to complement another hot colour for 2018 – sage green.

PRODUCT EDIT // INKY BLUE

We’ve selected a handful of our favourite products from across the market. On the whole, the blues in use are fairly subdued and greyed off. The usage is not about one flat shade but combining a few which reflects the watery, inky inspiration and the reflection of artisan craft techniques such as shibori.

Epsom Sofa - Rose and Grey

Mind The Gap Wallpaper - Indigo Marvel

Block cushion Cobalt - by Bristol Weaving Mill at Heals

Inky Skye print SOOUK

Textured Pottery Jug - Marks and Spencers

Painted hanging planter pots - Mon Pote

Velvet has been a key material for textiles in the last year or so and especially on upholstery where dark colour works really well – this sofa from Rose and Grey stands out from the crowd. We have also seen how people are not afraid to be brave in terms of deep dark colour on the walls and this confidence will start to have an impact on wallpaper – this design from Mind the Gap shows how artistic styles are translating into wallpaper.

The imagery shown above for accessories demonstrates how the trend for blue this season is about shading and layering – not just one single flat colour.

Watercolor Garden Curtain - Anthropologie

Bluebell grey Corran bedding - Hurn and Hurn

Sunkissed Landscape Rug - West Elm

In textiles, watercolour continues to be an important direction and now we are beginning to see examples where the style is a little more abstract with blurred edges and large scale.

Blue Watercolour Floral bedding - Zara Home

Bloomsbury blue jacquard bedding - Habitat

Watercolour Striped Bedding Set - Marks and Spencer

For dinnerware in 2018, probably the most important and prominent colour will be blue. It’s a colour that works particularly well in the kitchen and dining areas and the growth and rise in popularity of handcrafted and artisan styles on pottery has allowed for a really interesting variety of techniques to become available on the high street. Denby has developed a new collection of informal dinnerware which shows exactly this. The Studio Blue range consists of “four tonal glazes inspired by the colours and textures found in stone and minerals, combined to create a tactile collection which captures the essence of Denby’s hand-crafting skills and textural glazes perfected over 200 years”. Marks and Spencers have also launched a design called Tavira – a charming reactive glaze on stoneware featuring beautiful azure blue tones. Then, of course, there is the Rick Stein range which you may have already seen out in the shops but is definitely worth a mention here. The abstract watercolour patterns were designed by the students of Cornwall’s Falmouth University and the winning entry was based on Rick Stein’s memories of growing up in Cornwall. Inspired by the coves of north Cornwall and the natural variaions of colour in the sea, the artwork was painted by hand and the vibrant blues look simply gorgeous on the clean bone china white. Now if that doesn’t get you dreaming of long summer days then nothing will!

Denby Studio Blue tableware - John Lewis

Tavira dinnerware - Marks and Spencers

Rick Stein Coves of Cornwall dinnerware - John Lewis

We hope that has inspired you to feel a Spring-like warmth with all the blue that is appearing instead of an icy cold perception that this weather could be conjuring! We’d love to hear your thoughts on BLUE for the spring.

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